Feature films are dramatic, live-action and animated stories, 40-mins. or longer, from Canada and around the world. We're looking for films that engage, enlighten and entertain in ALL genres. Films must have been completed after January 1, 2014 and be an EDMONTON Premiere at festival time.

Documentary filmmaking continues to grow in popularity, and our audiences love 'em. We're looking for live-action and animated documentaries that are passionate, provocative, life-affirming - in other words, films that get audiences talking!

Past festival favorites include: THE GOOD SON (dir: Jesse James Miller), SPINNING PLATES (dir: Joseph Levy), ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL (dir: Sacha Gervasi), MUSCLE SHOALS (dir: Greg 'Freddy' Camilier), MUSIC FROM THE BIG HOUSE (dir: Bruce MacDonald) and A FILM ABOUT KIDS AND MUSIC (dir: Ramon Tort).

WE LOVE SHORT FILMS! LOVE 'EM! And we're looking for stories that inspire, engage and entertain. Selected films will showcase 'excellence in storytelling'. Short, dramatic films include animation, live-action and experimental in all genres: family, COMEDY (HUGE with our audiences), thriller, film noir, western... the list goes on.

Our most popular program strand for all short films is Lunchbox Shorts – five (5) unique packages programmed over the lunch hour for Edmonton's downtown business crowd and Jr./Sr. High School students. Thousands turn out each autumn for shorts with lunch!

WE LOVE SHORTS! We mean that. Both narrative and documentary! Short documentaries must be 40-minutes or less. We are looking for all kinds of fascinating, live-action and animated documentary stories that teach us, motivate us, or take us to a place (in mind, or in body) that we might never have gone – films that stay with us no matter how much time goes by.

ALBERTA FILMMAKERS! You live here or grew up here, perhaps you hold a degree from an Alberta College or University. To qualify as an Alberta Filmmaker, your contact information is an Alberta residence. OR -- if you no longer live here -- you have a unique connection to this province. Include a sentence or two in your cover letter with deets on how Alberta holds a special place in your heart.

For 23 years, EIFF has WAIVED submission fees for Albertans. This year (2015) we do require a nominal submission fee. 'Official Selection' films do receive a screening fee and all films must meet EDMONTON Premiere status.

MISSION & OBJECTIVE
The 29th Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF)... international, independent and eye-opening. Our 10-day festival is committed to showcasing contemporary, independent films that will enlighten and entertain our audiences. We look for films that make us better people -- films with soul. This festival is about FILMS and the people who MAKE them!

NEW! THIS YEAR...

SNOW, MAN (all lengths): Snow. The white, fluffy stuff that falls from the sky. It builds character. And is the reason our first sentence after "How are you?" is "Cold enough for ya?". We KNOW snow in Canada and want to see how filmmakers from other, wintery countries embrace it -- or not! Show us your SNOW, MAN.

DANCE ON FILM (short films): In partnership with Edmonton's MILE ZERO DANCE, we are looking for stories that lift us out of our seats and remind us of the power in dance!

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Just a couple of hours from the majestic Rocky Mountains, Edmonton is THE heart of the Canadian Prairies, the largest, most northern city in North America and home to the Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF). Six months out of the year, we are buried under snow -- making us the top movie-going audience in the country!

And each autumn, we hoist the curtains on a 10-day cinematic feast that celebrates the power of film. The menu for our 20,000 festival-goers consists of more than 150 films from 40 countries, ranging from short to feature-length, dramatic to documentary, comedy to gut-wrenching and studio to independent.

The films we look for are: WORLD CINEMA, DOCUMENTARIES of all kinds, COMEDY, DANCE, CHILDREN/FAMILY, EDGE of NIGHT (movies that make you squirm), films by ALBERTANS, SHORTS, stories that feature SNOW and anything to do with FOOD or foodies.

The ONLY hard and fast rules for submissions are:
1) Production Dates. To be considered 'contemporary', films must have locked picture and sound AFTER January 1, 2014.
2) Premier Status. EIFF requires that films be an EDMONTON PREMIERE (at minimum). This means no screenings to Edmonton audiences prior to festival dates -- October 1 to 10, 2015.
3) Broadcast & Pay-Per-View. Projects that are available to Canadian audiences on television or on subscription services such as NetFliix are NOT eligible to screen at EIFF.

ATTENDING THE FESTIVAL. We invite as many filmmakers -- shorts and features – as our budget affords and offer complimentary Hotel, airport shuttles, festival passes and single tickets to your film screenings. We would love to have a cash flow, or airline sponsor, that would allow us to cover flights for every filmmaker and every film in our fest. But we just don't have it. Yet. Thank YOU for understanding!

At the end of the day, once the curtains close for the final time each year -- EIFF is about the POWER OF FILM! And how it brings us all together in a way that only ART can. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Submit NOW and become a part of Alberta's longest running international film festival.

GENERAL RULES
LENGTH: Submissions may be fiction, documentary, or animation and each category is length-specific.

GENRES: Whatever the genre, we're looking for films with strong story lines. Movies that make you question your own values; move you in some mysterious way; or make you laugh out loud.

COPYRIGHT: Filmmaker is responsible for securing all copyright clearances and music rights.

WHERE IN THE WORLD? Wherever you are on the globe, we're interested in your cinematic story. Canada is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world and, as a city, Edmonton is rich with an incredible variety of peoples. This year’s SPOTLIGHT shines on films which feature SNOW, MAN!

PRIZES: Should the jury determine that no film was outstanding in an award category, NO award will be presented. EIFF reserves the right to modify the Cash and Goods/Services prizes as listed in the Categories -- as per sponsorship agreements.

SUBMIT AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE! Submitting early not only allows more time for consideration, but also guarantees you won’t miss the final deadline. No late submissions will be considered at all. Seriously!

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: All deadlines are POSTMARKED by dates. If the DEADLINE date lands on a weekend or statutory holiday, we accept submissions postmarked on the next business day. Our late submission deadline of MAY 15 allows enough time for selection committees to carefully consider your film, so please don't ask for an extension.

WORKS IN PROGRESS: EIFF does not accept trailers or rough assemblies but will accept work-in-progress cuts (picture lock with temp sound, color, etc.). Please be aware that EIFF will not view multiple updates/versions of your film for programming consideration.

PREMIERE/BROADCAST STATUS: To continue raising the prestige of EIFF -- with audiences and filmmakers – our priority is to program films (of all lengths) that have exclusive, EDMONTON premiere status. A cast & crew screening does not disqualify a film, but preference will be given to premieres.

INELIGIBLE PROJECTS are:
• Broadcast in Canada prior to our festival dates
• Available for purchase in North America

COMPLETION DATE: Priority is given to films completed after January 1, 2014 -- and not previously submitted to EIFF. Films previously submitted to EIFF will ONLY be considered if there are substantial, creative changes to the project.

SUBMISSION FORMAT: For selection purposes, all PREVIEW copies must be submitted on DVD (NTSC or PAL) or by Secure Online Screener (SOS) and be in English, or have English subtitles.

SUBMISSION CONTACT: The submitter shall be either a producer, director or authorized agent of the film. All communication will be sent to the person submitting.

SUBMISSION PACKAGE TO INCLUDE: Please include one (1) DVD (NTSC or PAL). Mark your submission DVD with a permanent marker (please, no stickers… they hurt our machines): Title | Run Time | Contact Information (e-mail address). Include payment only if you have not paid online.

CONFIRMATION OF RECEIPT: Submissions will be acknowledged by e-mail (through WITHOUTABOX) upon receipt.

PLEASE. DO NOT SEND: In keeping with our effort to become a carbon neutral festival, we request that you DO NOT SEND press kits, photo stills, or any other publicity materials. We will request these materials at a later date, once your film is accepted.

LANGUAGE: All films with non-English dialogue must have English subtitles.

MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: We prefer multiple submissions be submitted individually, however we can accommodate compilation DVDs and are able to offer a group submission discount (based on availability).

ENTRY FEES: Entry fees are non-refundable and the fees listed are per entry, in U.S. dollars.

STUDENT FEE: If submitting with the Student Fee amount, please include a copy of your current Student ID OR a letter from your instructor/teacher with the submission copy.

ALBERTA HIGH SCHOOL FILMMAKER (20-mins. or less): This category is NO LONGER AVAILABLE!

FEE WAIVERS: NO FEE WAIVERS will be considered. Don't e-mail us, don't phone us, don't hunt us down on the streets -- we've worked very hard to create an affordable submission system that offsets a (very) small portion of our costs. Trust us... filmmaker submission fees are not a revenue generator for ANY fest.

RETURN of SUBMISSION DVD: If you'd like your preview copy returned, include a self-addressed, stamped mailing package. Screeners will otherwise not be returned.

SELECTION PROCESS: All submissions are screened and evaluated by EIFF Preview and Selection Committees. Their reports and decisions are final and confidential.

NOTIFICATION: All accepted entrants will be notified on or before July 30, via e-mail (through WITHOUTABOX). Filmmakers whose films are not selected to screen at EIFF will also be notified by this date through the WITHOUTABOX email system.

EXHIBITION FORMAT: Once a film is accepted, every attempt will be made by EIFF organizers to exhibit your film on the preferred exhibition format. However, due to budget and our movie venues, we prefer to EXHIBIT the following formats:
• FEATURE Films: DCP and BluRay (with NTSC DVD back-up)
• SHORT Films: PAL or NTSC DVD (Regions 0 and 1)

RECEIPT OF EXHIBITION PRINT: To allow for time to test and inspect exhibition copies, EIFF must receive your EXHIBITION copy by:
• SHORT FILMS: August 15
• FEATURE FILMS: September 15

FILMMAKER FEEDBACK: Regrettably, we no longer provide filmmaker feedback as a routine part of our selection and notification process. We will consider E-MAIL (only) requests for feedback on a case by case basis after the festival dates and before November 15.

TRAVEL/ACCOMMODATIONS for FILMMAKERS: ALL filmmakers are encouraged to attend and we totally wish we could cover everyone’s flight and hotel rooms, but we just don’t have the resources. Damn budgets! So… we can only extend a limited number of complimentary airfare and lodging packages to select FEATURE filmmakers. Accepted SHORT filmmakers (who reside outside of Alberta) – we hope to offer you a complimentary 2-night Hotel stay.

PASSES/TICKETS for FILMMAKERS: Complimentary Festival Passes and single tickets are available to attending filmmakers. Quantities are dependent on film length, category and based on availability. EIFF representatives will communicate this information to filmmakers upon acceptance of film/s.

REPRODUCTION AGREEMENT: Entrant agrees to grant EIFF permission for accepted films and related marketing materials to be reproduced and distributed (in whole or in part) SOLELY for the purposes of jurying and promotion of the Festival.

LOSS and DAMAGE: EIFF will make every attempt to contact you if there is damage to an entry, but cannot be held responsible if your entry is not considered due to poorly recorded or unplayable media. Every precaution will be taken to safeguard all materials submitted while in EIFF’s possession, however we cannot accept or assume responsibility in the event of loss or damage.

SHIPPING (Submission Copies): Do not send masters or irreplaceable formats. Preview copies will not be returned unless a self-addressed, stamped envelope is included with the submission. All shipping charges are the responsibility of the sender.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: The Customs Declaration should state "Festival Submission only - no commercial value". Mark value no higher than $10CDN. The Festival does NOT accept collect shipments or pay customs fees on inbound packages.

SHIPPING (Exhibition Copies): SHIPPING (Exhibition Copies): The cost of shipping the exhibition copy to EIFF must be paid by the entrant or preceding festival and EIFF is responsible for outbound shipping of FEATURE FILMS ONLY. We will return exhibition copies for SHORT FILMS, only when the filmmaker requests this and supplies a postage-paid return envelope.

ACCEPTANCE: Submitting a film to the EIFF and accepting an offer for participation will be considered an approval of the film's copyright holder in accordance with the terms of these Regulations.

PLEASE NOTE: While we make every effort to follow screening times as posted in the festival program guide, EIFF cannot be held accountable for changes to the schedule after festival line-up is announced.

I have read and accepted the General Rules and Regulations for entering a film/video production to the Edmonton International Film Festival. I fully indemnify and hold EIFFS and its Officers, Directors and representatives harmless from: a) damage to or loss of the film print or videotapes or dvds en route to or from EIFF or during the course of EIFF's possession of the entry; and b) from any claims which may arise in connection with my film.
I own and control the copyright in and to, and am duly authorized to submit this film to the Edmonton International Film Festival.
If this film is selected for screening at EIFF, I grant EIFF organizers the right to screen this film at the Festival.
I understand that submitting a film to the EIFF and accepting an offer for participation will be considered an approval of the film's copyright holder in accordance with the terms of these Regulations.
ONCE A FILM HAS BEEN SELECTED AND AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE AT THE EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IS ACCEPTED, THE FILMMAKER CANNOT WITHDRAW THEIR FILM FROM THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME. **EIFF RESERVES THE RIGHT TO WITHDRAW AN “ACCEPTED” ENTRY SHOULD THE FILM AND/OR FILMMAKER FAIL TO MEET ALL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
I understand and agree that my film entry, if selected for the Festival, may be used for promotional purposes for the EIFF and I grant EIFF organizers approval for:
- a public showing of the film up to 3 times at the Festival
- a public showing of up to a 3-minute maximum of clips from the film in the media, on the EIFF website, at Festival premises, or in multimedia presentations.
- use of film stills in Festival's promotional materials (ie. catalogue, promotional flyers, website and/or multimedia presentations).